Maxton Hall‘s exceptional international success means fans won’t have to wait long to find out what happens with James and Ruby in season 2.
The German-language TV drama premiered in May 2024 and introduced viewers to an unlikely enemies to lovers romance between private school classmates Ruby Bell (Harriet Herbig-Matten) and James Beaufort (Damian Hardung). While attending their prestigious U.K. school, scholarship recipient Ruby unwittingly witnessed a secret that put her on the radar of the wealthy James.
Maxton Hall quickly found record-breaking success, becoming the most-watched non-U.S. title during its first week on Prime Video. It was renewed for a second season immediately after its debut, and production started in June 2024.
Head of Scripted TV at Amazon MGM Studios Petra Hengge weighed in on the surprising success of Maxton Hall worldwide.
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“When it was finished, we started showing it to our international colleagues,” she said at a June 2024 event. “After the successes of Culpa Mia and The Summer I Turned Pretty, we had data points proving that there is an audience for female-driven romance programming, which hadn’t been there when we greenlit [Maxton Hall], so it was picked up internationally and made a global priority title.”
Hengge added: “It’s just amazing to see something we loved so much doing, but always thought, ‘Who’s going to watch that show outside of Germany?’ resonates very well with females all around the world, and apparently their boyfriends also don’t mind watching too. I want to have people laugh, I want to have people cry, I want to help people feel better, and to sleep well afterwards.”
Keep scrolling for everything to know about season 2 of Maxton Hall:
Who Is Coming Back for Season 2?
In addition to Herbig-Matten and Hardung, Sonja Weißer, Ben Felipe, Fedja van Huêt, Runa Greiner, Justus Riesner and Andrea Guo are also set to return.
Filming on season 2 wrapped in fall 2024. Prime Video released a first look in December 2024 showing Herbig-Matten and Hardung on set.
When Will ‘Maxton Hall’ Season 2 Premiere on Prime Video?
Season 1 of Maxton Hall was actually filmed two years before it was released on Prime Video.
“It was a long wait [for the show to premiere]. Two years was a long time and it wasn’t planned,” Herbig-Matten exclusively told Us Weekly in May 2024 about filming the series in 2022. “It made us nervous. It was like, ‘Come on, finally!’ But you can’t change it and can’t control it.”
Season 2, which premieres November 7, will be pivoting to a weekly drop.
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What Events Take Place in the 2nd Book?
The first season of Maxton Hall was based on Mona Kasten’s book Save Me, which means season 2 will take inspiration from Save You. After James and Ruby finally became a couple at the end of season 1, their story will pick up with the fictional pair trying to make things work amid ups and downs in their personal lives.
In June 2024, Kasten shared a first look photo from season 2, writing via Instagram, “You better grovel, boy,” next to James. She added, “You’re doing amazing, sweetie,” next to Ruby. The official trailer showed the moment James cheated on Ruby before she chose to cut ties with him.
What Is the Official Plot?
According to the synopsis, Ruby and James won’t be happy for long after “a stroke of fate in James family changes everything and James himself, of all people, brings her back from cloud nine to a harsh reality.” Obstacles will continue to keep James and Ruby apart but “she can’t forget James — especially since he’s doing everything he can to win her back.”
Are There Any Story Lines the Cast Would Like to See?
Before they returned to set, Herbig-Matten and Hardung told Us what they would like to see for their characters.
“[I would like Ruby] to stay true to herself and to set boundaries. She’s already doing this, but to keep doing this. And not changing for him,” Herbig-Matten shared. “And I would like to focus on female friendships. That is really important too. And don’t let a man destroy your life.”
The actress told Us she learned some important lessons from filming the first season that she plans to take with her into season 2.
“What I’ve learned from Damian is he worked out a lot after shooting. That’s what I learned from him. And I think there’s really to get out of your head and to just process the day,” she added. “I’ve learned that from him and that has really worked for me.”
Hardung, meanwhile, would like to see James work on himself more.
“I’ve been saying this a lot. I truly wish for him that he and his family ideally go to family therapy and figure out what’s been going on,” he noted. “They could have better communication of their wants and their needs together and kind of figure out how they can fulfill that. And they can learn how to go forward and not make life so hard for each other.”
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What Lessons Did the ‘Maxton Hall’ Stars Learn From Filming Season 1?
“The most important thing is to talk a lot and to know your boundaries. I’ve learned to stand up and to talk for myself. I’m talking a lot with my friends and to have friends who are not in this business is really important for me as well. And I’m working a lot on myself,” Herbig-Matten detailed to Us in May 2024. “I think that helped me to reach more confidence. When you shoot [a project like this] it was two years ago. I was really young and I couldn’t process those emotions. But I’m trying and I have a second chance now with season 2.”
Hardung explained that he was “still processing” the overwhelming attention.
“It’s been a lot these last couple of weeks. I’m just super glad and I feel completely privileged to be experiencing this journey at the moment. But at the same time, there’s definitely been a lot of days where I had to just stay away from social media and just focus on anything else except for the show,” he admitted. “It’s just been overwhelming and I’m so grateful for the responses that I’ve been getting so far. I’ve also been really grateful for the opportunity to just go back to school and I still have a couple of courses left at university. So [it is nice to] have a different kind of life experience to feel some sense of reality I guess every now and then.”
Could There Be More Seasons of ‘Maxton Hall’?
With there being three novels in Kasten’s book series, fans are expecting the same amount of seasons. Prime Video later renewed Maxton Hall for a third installment. In September 2024, Country Director at Prime Video Germany and Austria Christoph Schneider sparked speculation of a renewal.
“We had a great IP, it was brilliantly made, we had a great — and not just the two main actors, who are outstanding, but also the others. Everyone was really great, and that made this a unicorn show,” he explained to Deadline. “The good news is we have three seasons.”
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Are Ruby and James Endgame — or Should ‘Maxton Hall’ Fans Be Worried?
Spoiler alert for TV fans who haven’t read the books: James and Ruby are expected to get a happy ending on screen. After the first season premiered on Prime Video, Herbig-Matten and Hardung received so much praise for their chemistry.
“That was my first time playing a love story that has these intense emotions. And as I said, it was really easy with Damian and I,” Herbig-Matten told Us. “We are two different people and we are good friends and we have a good connection. It’s really important to treat your connection [well] but to set boundaries as well as an actress and an actor.”
Hardung also gushed over James and Ruby’s connection, adding, “That chemistry, it has to be felt. It’s really just about taking every emotion seriously. You have got to be honest about those emotions and I love that.”
